Description
Book SynopsisHow do high mountain ranges form on the face of the Earth? This question has intrigued some of the greatest philosophers and scientists, going back as far as the ancient Greeks. This book tells the story of one scientist, and his quest for the key to this geological mystery.
Trade ReviewOne of New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of the Year for 2004 "An absorbing account of how geologists come to understand the workings of the world."--The New York Times "An absorbing account of the many years Lamb has spent exploring and pondering the Andes. But the book is not simply about a particular place or one scientific career. Lamb gives his readers a wonderful feel for how geology works- how geologists gather clues, test hypotheses and ultimately come to understand the workings of the world... [The book] make[s] us so familiar with the history of the Andes that they become living things."--Carl Zimmer, New York Times Book Review "Simon Lamb's book is an enticing blend of personal adventure and scientific explanation. It is an unusual scientist who manages to describe the world vividly but also explain the science clearly... Lamb takes us painlessly through the workings of the great engine of the earth--and what could be more important than understanding how our planet is put together... His descriptions of flogging through the jungle-clad eastern foothills of the Andes leave one relieved to be able to experience it all from the comfort of an armchair."--Richard A. Fortey, Times Literary Supplement "[An] engrossing and well-written book... Lamb's writing is engaging and clear... Even when he tackles esoteric areas of geophysics and dynamical modeling far from his own field of expertise, Lamb exhibits an enviable facility for simplifying complex and, in some cases, quite controversial ideas. He has keen insight into Bolivian geology and a sympathetic eye for local culture... Devil in the Mountain makes compelling reading. Lamb has done a masterful job in piecing together the Andean puzzle in a way that seems to make perfect sense."--David E. James, Nature "[Lamb's] prose is lively and for the most part free of jargon. His tales of adventures during individual field campaigns engage readers in a way that a straight science text could not. Most important, he describes particularly well the process by which a field geologist interprets the Earth."--Richard W. Allmendinger, American Scientist "This book describes physical quests as well as a scientific one. The history of mountains can only be told in millennia, but in America the history of people's attempts to make mountains their own can be told in a few centuries."--Washington Post Book World
Table of ContentsPreface vii Prologue xi PART ONE Chapter One Devil in the Mountain 3 Chapter Two A Mountain of a Problem 13 Chapter Three A Geological Reconnaissance 38 Chapter Four Jeeps, Motorbikes, and Other Things 65 PART TWO Chapter Five Looking for the Source of Ancient Rivers 85 Chapter Six Putting Down Roots 121 Chapter Seven A Curvaceous Shape 177 PART THREE Chapter Eight A Sort of Fudge Cake 207 Chapter Nine The Subterranean Furnace 248 Chapter Ten Putting Up Barriers 277 Selected Glossary 313 Further Reading 319 Index 327
